composting shavings?

[dlhunicorn]

I also clean and rebed the shavings quite often...however, I do not use very many (or need as much) because I do so... I use cardboard boxes (need less shavings in them) and in some places I use sand with a top dressing of shavings.
I also find my compost needs to be watered mor e often the more shavings I use and I always topdress the shavings in the compost heap with dirt...

 

[Dilly]

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If not too much trouble could you post a pic of your bin, I like the idea of an enclosed area to toss stuff to compost.

Dilly

 

[Dilly]

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I like this idea, it would help keep down the amount of shavings to dispose of. maybe if one left the shavings sit covered so the poop would loose some of it potency prior to adding to the plants? Wonder if this could be used as mulch directly on gardens? ANYONE?

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
CHickens don't pee, Dilly.

Honest. The only moisture comes outta them is the dampness of the poo. They really ARE different than horses/cows/pigs/etc.

As you say, see how it goes and you can decide when you need to do a wholesale cleanout of the litter... but you may be surprised. (Esp. if you use a buncha litter, and a droppings board, both of which I highly recommend).


Pat

 

[Dilly]

Quote:
CHickens don't pee, Dilly.

Honest. The only moisture comes outta them is the dampness of the poo. They really ARE different than horses/cows/pigs/etc.

As you say, see how it goes and you can decide when you need to do a wholesale cleanout of the litter... but you may be surprised. (Esp. if you use a buncha litter, and a droppings board, both of which I highly recommend).


Pat

My god really I never knew. I thought everything peed. lol Seriously I did not know.
Yep it will all work out and find a balance. I do know mucking out stalls is allot more work than cleaning up after a few chickens has to be. Yes I plan on a pretty good sized poop bin, I am going to have a slide out for really easy cleaning.

Thanks Pat.

 

[digitS']

Seems like a clean freak may just need a bag of ammonium sulfate. Applying a high-N fertilizer to material going into a compost bin isn't very tuff.

Horses use up lots of shavings and produce manure considerably lower in nitrogen than chicken manure. Here's what Ohio State U suggests with daily cleaning of horse stalls:

"Add about 10 pounds of ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate per ton of horse manure/sawdust mix. This is about 1/3 pound (about 1/2 cup) of ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate per 1,000-pound horse per day.

Add the ammonium nitrate as the stalls are cleaned. Simply pick a stall clean with a manure fork, then add about 1/2 cup of ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate (for a 1,000-pound horse) to the manure and bedding in the wheelbarrow or spreader. Adjust the amount of ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate if the horse is much smaller or larger than 1,000 pounds. For example, only about 1/4 cup of ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate per day would be needed for a 500-pound pony. Apply the ammonium nitrate or ammonium sulfate to the manure only after it has been removed from the stall."

Steve

 

[HorseFeathers]

(edited to say- oops, I just realized that my daughter is logged in. I am really SeaChick!)
I've been wrestling with this same issue. I do a complete shaving clean-out about every 3-5 weeks (~ 5 x 6 coop with currently 5 chickens). I do have a droppings board that gets cleaned off every day: the poop only has minimal shavings in it and THAT goes directly into the compost bin. It's good stuff.

The nice 3 x 3 bin I've always used got filled with shavings in a matter of months last fall, and I see almost no signs of any decomposition. Despite adding kitchen scraps, weeds, and other "green", I really believe that the ratio to "brown" is not high enough and that it will take forecer to compost.

I just scored a HUGE 36" diameter "ComposTumbler" rotating bin on Craigslist. I have been filling it with the "straight" poop, kitchen scraps, and enough of the shavings from my old bin to seem like a good green/brown ratio. I'll keep it damp and turn it every day and hope that the consant aeration helps. In the meantime I've been bagging the shavings up (which TRULY do not contain very much poop, even changed only every 3+ weeks like I do!!! I'm quite serious, you are going to be surprised!!) into paper yard bags and putting them in the dumps big compost pile.

A couple other thoughts here:
One, re: being a clean-freak. I use Stall Dry or Sweet PDZ under he litter, just a little bit, and I believe it really keeps the smell down.

Two: on DE and composting. I use it. I just had a thought though" maybe the DE is killing some of the composting critters! I do not know if it affect the microorganisms and bacteria that create compost, but we know it surely affects any soft-bodied insects. Could that be hindering composting as well as too much brown?

Stacey

 

[mandomama]

I live in Oregon and we gets a lot of rain. I would think cleaning out the chips and putting them directly on the garden, fall through spring would be a fine idea. I also have some tree berms in the field that I think would benefit.

I do like the idea of the dropping board. I will need to move my compost bin closer to the coop to make it easier to deposit!

 

[poppycat]

Are you ready for more suggestions?

Try adding some garden soil in top of the shavings, or some finished compost.

If you can vary the ingredients in your pile things will go faster.

Of course moisture is important too. I live in the Pacific Northwest where it rains all winter and stuff decomposes really quickly, but in the summer when its dry, I have to add water and put a layer of straw mulch over my pile to keep it from drying out.

Good luck, and don't fret over it too much. Compost isn't a precise science, try a few methods and see what works for you. Eventually it will pay off!

 

[priszilla]

I have been dumping them into my future garden bed-plan to dig them in ASAP-and start a new spot for a new barden bed (I use the square foot method more or less) I also use the shavings to fill in holes in t he yard that our previous dogs had dug to China.I miss them-they have crossed the raibow bridge.I also fill in holes along the fence where the chickens might escape.